What is the right balance between reason and revelation in Islam?

As Muslims, what do we think about reason, and how do we engage with reason?

In this Friday speech in Boston, Sheikh Yasir Fahmy addresses the topic of the role of reason in the sphere of knowledge.

Many today when they think of religion they don’t think of reason.

One of the attacks on religion is usually religionists are not people who believe in the intellect or believe in reason.

They have suspended their mind and intellect.

Marx says famously that religion is the opiate of the masses.

What is interesting in that regard is that Islam uniquely prohibits anything that may impede the mind.

That’s why in Islam alcohol and all forms of intoxicants are prohibited precisely because it impacts or impedes the mind.

But nonetheless, we see this is an on-going critique of religion, that it’s lack of capacity to engage with sophistication of the world, and so on.

So there is no doubt that as Muslims we must think about how we engage reason with our intellectual tradition, because any cursory read of the Islamic intellectual tradition will tell us clearly that the mind is of utmost significance.

The intellect and reason are of crucial nature in our religion.

Allah (SWT) makes it that from the high purposes of religion is the preservation of the intellect.

The intellect is where the person is deemed legally responsible or otherwise.

If the person is not of sound mind, then they are not legally responsible.

Allah (SWT) has dignified the human being through granting them intellect.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.” (Qur’an, 17:70)

Don’t miss this excellent Friday speech by Sheikh Yasir Fahmy on the importance of reason and revelation in Islam.